Welcome to this winter solstice meditation.
The winter solstice,
For those of us in the northern hemisphere,
Marks the day when the earth's tilt is furthest away from the sun,
The day with the shortest amount of sunlight.
A lot of us get down in the dumps and begin to even feel depressed on these shorter,
Dark days.
Even so,
Many cultures celebrate this day.
Darkness presents us with the opportunity to explore deeply within our bodies,
Hearts,
And minds.
In our winter hibernation,
We can sit quietly,
Turning our awareness inward,
Leaning and revealing what we might shed to make space for new beginnings in the light of a new year ahead.
Open your heart and mind to receive whatever insights this solstice journey has to offer you.
Find a comfortable position and when you are ready,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze and begin to embrace the stillness within.
Notice your breath and begin to draw in a deeper,
Slow breath through your nose,
And then slowly exhale the breath.
This is a season of rest.
Allow your body to rest.
Notice if you can sense any tightness or tension in your body.
And with your next exhale,
Can you let it go and relax a little further?
Notice your toes.
Relax your feet.
Release any tension through the legs and your hips.
Let your shoulders soften away from your ears.
Bring your awareness to your face and unclench your jaw,
Unfurrow your eyebrow,
And then relax the area between.
If you wish,
Bring a small smile to your face as you begin to visualize a gentle snowfall in a winter landscape of your choice.
Perhaps watching from a window or walking in the city or the forest.
A winter landscape so beautiful it takes your breath away.
Surrounded by the stillness of the season,
You feel a soft golden light from the sun shining down on you,
Filling you with a radiant energy and warming your beautiful face.
The sun promises to return and shine light on all that is dark.
The sun providing its nourishment so things can grow.
And when the sun fades,
The light and the heat of the fire takes its place.
You begin to watch with intention as each snowflake makes its way down to the earth,
Falling gently and softly.
Now imagine each snowflake representing something that you are releasing.
An old belief here,
A negative thought there.
Judgments and criticisms begin to fall away and as a result you begin to feel lighter and freer.
Allowing anything that is not serving you to be released into this crisp winter air.
As you let go,
You are creating space for new intentions.
Let's celebrate this winter as a season of recovery.
It's time to give yourself a break.
It's time to allow yourself to relax a little more than usual.
Just as nature seems to take a pause during winter,
So can you.
Release habits that restrict you.
Rest.
Resist the urge to fall victim to the darkness and remember you carry a spark of light inside of you.
Relax.
Remember what brings you joy.
Remember the radiant energy of the sun.
Feel the heat from the fire keeping you warm and safe as the winter rolls on.
Nourish your mind,
Body and soul this winter.
Let your intentions root deep and embrace your potential for growth and transformation.
Rest whenever it's necessary.
Rest whenever you can.
Give yourself permission to take a break.
Gently bring your focus back to your breath,
This present moment.
Taking a deeper,
Slower breath in,
Noticing the cool air moving in,
Filling your belly and lungs.
Opening your mouth and letting the breath go with a full exhale,
Bringing your awareness back to the space around you.
You can slowly open your eyes,
Maybe taking a little stretch or offering yourself a little hug.
May you carry the sense of renewal and the promise of brighter days ahead with you the whole season.
As you transition back into your day,
I wish you a peaceful winter solstice filled with beauty and rest.
Namaste.
Namaste.
